The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-03-18
IN CASE OF FIRE.
Valuable Advice to Women.


The following letter appeared In the
London Times:
Will you grant me space to explain
briefly what, / think, should be the first
thing to be done by a girl or woman
whose dress has caught fire, and SINH
larly the first duty of any one who goes
to her rescue?
A girl or woman who meets with this
accident should Immediately lie down on
the floor and so any one who goes to
her assistance should instantly, if she
still be erect, make her lie down, or If
needful. throw her down in horizontal
position, and keep her in it.
Sparks fly upward, and flames ascend.
Ignition from below mounts with fearful
rapidity; and, as a result. well known to
experts, the fatality or disf1gurements in
these lamentable cases is due to the
burns inflicted about the body, neck,
face and head, and not injuries to the
lower limbs.
Now, the very moment that the person
whose clothes are on fire Is In hori-
Zontal position on q fat surface, the
flames still ascend, but only into the air,
and not encirclipg their victim. Time is
thus gained for further action, and in
such or sis in fight against fire few
seconds are precious, nay, priceless.
Once in the prone position, the person
afflicted may crawl to a bell-pull or to a
door, so as to clutch at the one or open
the other to obtain help. The draught
from an open door into the room would
serve to blow the flames, II any, away
from the body.
Or again, still crawling, the sufferer
may be able to secure a rug or table,
cover, or other article at hand, to smoth-
er any remaining flames.
l say remaining flames, for as soon as
the horizontal position is assumed they
have no longer much to feed upon, and
may either do out as the phrase Is, or
may be accidentally or Intentionally ex-
tinguished as the person rolls or moves
upon the floor
In any case, not only is time gained,
but the injury inflicted is minimiZed.
In the event of the conditions not being
those Of self help, but of assistance from
another, II it be man who comes to the
rescue having first and instantly thrown
the girl or woman down, it IS easy to
take off his coat and so Stifie the dimin-
ished flames with this or some other
suitable covering, the flames playing
now upward from the lower limbs or
lower part Of the body of the prostrate
fellow-creature.
II it be woman who rushes to give
aid, this last-named condition suggests
that the sa er mode of rendering it is to
approach the sufferer by the head, and
fling something thence over the lower
part of the body, for fear OF setting fro
to rself.
Ii, in these fearful accidents, the hori-
ZOntal position be assumed or enforced,
there would be, in short, comparative
immunity and limited injury. II not,
what must happen? The fire will mount;
the flames land it is these which do the
injury will envelop tie body insi c and
outside the clothes, and will reach the
neck and head, and then, indeed, they
may be smothered by a coat or wrapper,
or rug, while the victim ts fr1ghuully
dishgured or is doomed to perish.
For many years l have urged these
Views while lecJUring on i.jUrieS from
burns: and once l had an occasion to
illustrate them practically, though in q
comparativ ly trivial accident
Some dressings of a very infammable
character caught fire at the bedside Of a
patient IN one Of my surgical wards
they were promptly seized by student,
who threw them into the middle of the
ward, and endeavOred to stamp out the
flaming material. But this containing
paratfin and resin adhered to his boots,
and his legs as he danced about were
getting uncomfortably hot.
To his astOnishment, and to the un-
doubted surprise Of every one in sight,
l caught him by the collar Of his coat
and tripped up his legs. Instantly the
flames became harmless, and were ex-
tinguished by a nurse throwing jug of
wa. er on them.
l have often thought that on the ap-
prOaCh Of the Wint T season there should
be at every school, whether board vol
untary. or private, whether for girls or
boys, an address, if not an actual demon
stration by means of suitable III dels,
pointing out what should be done in
these pec.aI ealam ties
II two upright models were prepared
alike, and simultaneously set on fire, one
being thrown down after two sec nds
and one after thirty seconds, or al any
other two different times, the memories
OF children would receive a lasting, and
1t might be serviceable, impression.